Think Outside the Box

Q. I keep hearing our managers say, “Think outside the box.” I’ve never been very creative, but I’m a steady and dependable contributor. How do I “think outside the box” without having to change my personality? — Eleanor T.

A. Thinking more creatively (“outside the box”) doesn’t mean you have to change your personality—just some of the patterns you’ve probably built up after several years in the same job, career, or company. Your dependability and stability are a real plus, because being creative without having these other qualities can result in chaos.

Anyone can become more creative—and work smarter—and “think outside the box.” Try adopting, and practicing, these behaviors to develop the creative side of your thinking:

Ask "What if…?" questions throughout the day--the crazier the better. (What if we all wore jeans to work? What if we got paid every day? What if my boss had to work for me one day a week? What if a customer watched me work one day a week?

Make up metaphors and analogies: A brain is like a bank -- you can

take out only as much as you put in. My job is like a can opener: I take

the top off hard problems and look inside to see what I find.

Pay attention to small ideas. That's where many big ones get their start.

Daydream several times a day. Let your mind wander and explore unplanned,

unexpected subjects, workplace ideas; opportunities, problems.

Play "Just Suppose." (Just suppose I decided to ask for a raise or a promotion. Just suppose I took the opposite side in a product discussion. Just suppose we served all our customers on the Internet.)

Try different ways of expressing your creativity several times a week: cooking, painting, gardening, enjoying photography, writing, inventing something.

Play strategy games like chess, checkers, backgammon, or bridge.

Learn a foreign language (it encourages your brain to think in new patterns.)

Guess at measurements rather than using a yard stick, a tape measure or

a cup. Then measure and see how close you were.

Read three-fourths of a novel, then stop and write your own ending.

Balance your checkbook without using a calculator.

Do jigsaw and crossword puzzles.

Take more risks; break more “rules.” (I’m not advising you to break the law or undermine policy—just do things you normally aren’t expected to do: Walk on the grass instead of using the sidewalk; bring a box for your groceries rather than have them bagged.) Look for ways to be unconventional in everyday activities.

Put together problem-solving teams to brainstorm solutions—and try to staff the team with people who have strong creative talents.

Look for more than one right answer. That’s often just the easy out. Developing several “right” answers gives you more options.

Ask Key Questions

Probe the problem or challenge (or solutions) more deeply by asking questions that will force you to probe deeper for solutions:

What am I assuming that I shouldn’t?

Am I trying to be too “practical?”

Can I rearrange, reverse, condense, eliminate, or add anything?

Can I put the problem or solution to other uses?

Can I combine, adapt or substitute anything to change the picture?

At random, change words in your problem statement to see what you come with. For example, look at the possibilities when you change the words in

this problem statement: “How could we develop a more unique food for children?”

How could we develop (transform; eliminate; miniaturize) a more (less) unique (different; inexpensive; expensive; colorful; bigger; smaller) food (lunch; breakfast; snack; clothing; school; play; camping) product (game; exercise; video) for children (pre-schoolers; adults; nurses; teachers; factory workers)?

Finally, look for ways to have more fun, and be more playful at work and in your life. This will help set a tone of openness, freedom, and flexibility in your thinking that will make “thinking outside the box” a normal part of your day.